


Atonement

by snarkysweetness



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Abduction, Angst, Battle, Canonical Character Death, Curses, Death, Established Relationship, F/M, Family, Flashbacks, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Kidnapping, Language, Minor Violence, Multi, Other, Pregnancy, Reunions, True Love's Kiss
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-29
Updated: 2012-08-01
Packaged: 2017-11-10 23:08:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 15,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/471733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snarkysweetness/pseuds/snarkysweetness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The battle between good and evil rages on while Emma tries to move on from losing the love of her life. Just when she thinks she might make it through it all, Rumpelstiltskin decides to call in that favor Emma owes him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Shock to the System

**Author's Note:**

> Swan Booth fandom, I apologize for the amount of angst, please don’t hate me. Trust me, the original ending for this thing was way more heartbreaking, so however much you think you hate me, it could be worse. This thing was originally a one-shot but then it got really long, so I broke it up into chapters. Enjoy!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma breaks down.

Emma stares down at the stick in her hand feels sick. Not the same kind of sick she’s been feeling since breaking the curse, either. She feels like a boulder is pressing into her chest, cutting off her air supply while someone stabs her in the stomach, twisting the knife as she coughs up blood. The kind of gut wrenching sickness that a person feels when they’re about to die.

She lets out a loud sob, not even realizing that she’s crying. One moment she’s standing at the sink and the next she’s curled up on the floor, sobbing, unable to breathe.

“Emma? Emma! James! I can’t get her to stop!”

Her mother’s holding her, rocking her back and forth, reminding her to breathe.

“I can-I can’t!”

“Shh, you can.”

“Mom?”

Emma looks up at Henry and suddenly breathing isn’t so difficult anymore.

“James, get him out here.”

Snow gives him a ‘don’t fuck with me’ look and James listens, carting Harry off in his arms, against his will.

“Mom!”

“She’s going to be fine, Henry, just give her a minute.”

Snow forces Emma to look at her. “Emma, keep breathing.”

Emma does as she’s told, the sobs getting smaller, but the tears keep coming. She can’t stop them, they’re infectious, and one tear caused fifteen more to come.

“I’m-August, I need August.”

And then she’s sobbing again, against Snow’s chest, while Snow rubs her back soothingly.

“I know, baby, I know. I’m sorry.”

This has been happening for weeks. The tiniest thing would trigger it. A motorcycle. A typewriter. The other day it had been a piece of cake because it had crossed her mind that August would have enjoyed it. Emma Swan had been through Hell and back in her life and survived it without shedding a single tear, but losing the love of her life on top of everything else that was going on was too much for her to bear. It was too much for any one person, really.

Emma was trying, hard, to not let Henry see her breakdowns, but her mother and father were used to them. Snow was the only one who could get her to calm down.

“I need to see him,” Emma manages to sob out, pulling away from her mother.

“Emma, it’s not-honey, you’re never going to be able to move on if you spend all of your time crying over a dead man’s grave,” Snow tells her, taking her face in her hands.

The speech usually worked. She’d spent every day for a week by August’s side when she wasn’t desperately trying to get Rumpelstiltskin, The Blue Fairy, anyone to find some kind of magic to bring him back. She’d tried kissing him, repeatedly, cursing at him, crying, every bit of magic they knew how to yield, but nothing had brought him back. After three weeks of this, Geppetto had begged her to let him put his son to rest.

Seeing the look in his eyes had made Emma’s decision for her.

So they’d buried him in a tomb, in a glass coffin, so Emma and his father could still visit him when the pain of missing him took over.

She’d broken the curse eight weeks ago and while she’d managed to not find herself at his side every day, because they had Regina to deal with, magic running loose and destroying things, and trying to find their way to their world, she couldn’t focus on those things, not right now.

Right now, the speech wasn’t going to work.

Not today.

“That dead man,” Emma closes her eyes for a moment and then exhales, “that dead man is the father of your grandchild.” Emma unclenches her fist to show her mother the positive pregnancy test. She looks into her eyes, calming down, because it occurs to her that Henry isn’t the only one she needs to be strong for anymore.

“That is why you need to take me to see him right now, because I need to see him. I need to…I don’t know, tell him? I know it won’t bring him back, I know he’s dead and that’s why magic and True Love’s kiss and nothing else has worked, but I still need to see him.”

“Emma…”

“Please, mom. Please.”

It’s the first time Emma’s called her ‘mom’ and they both know she’s only doing it to manipulate her into agreeing, but it doesn’t stop Snow from kissing Emma’s forehead and doing just that.


	2. Piece of My Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma visits August’s tomb to say a final goodbye.

Later on, Emma sits at August’s side, wishing she could open the casket to hold his hand, but she knows how pathetic that would be, so she just stares down at his lifeless form.  
  
“Emma?”  
  
“We talked about it, you know? When we…the condom broke, it happens. And we both knew it was a possibility so we talked about it. And he told me that if we had a girl she should be named after me because, as he put it, I was the most ‘badass chick’ he’d ever met.”  
  
Emma shakes her head with a sad chuckle.  
  
“And then he told me the truth, about everything, and I couldn’t-wouldn’t believe him, so I stopped speaking to him, for days, and then by the time I knew-this is my fault. We’re having a baby and the curse is broken and he’s not here because I didn’t believe fast enough. I’m the one who killed him and I don’t know how I’m supposed to tell his child that the reason he or she doesn’t have a father is because I messed up. Not him, me. This is all on me.”  
  
She couldn’t blame him for leaving, they’d been children. And a lot of foster kids were fucked up. He’d done the best he could and he’d tried to make things right, she just hadn’t been able to let him.  
  
“Your Maje-“  
  
“I told you, it’s Emma.”  
  
She turns to face Geppetto and the concern in his face makes her feel sick again.  
  
“We’re family now, so don’t with the royal bullshit, please?”  
  
He nods and approaches the coffin, looking down at it sadly.  
  
“None of this is your fault. Regina, she did this. We will defeat her so that his death won’t be in vain.”  
  
He nods again, as if he’s trying to convince himself that they’ll actually beat Regina. Now that she had magic at her disposal, she was damn near impossible to fight. But they had made it this far. Of course, Emma wasn’t going to be doing any fighting, not for a while, especially once everyone found out and started treating her like the crazy pregnant woman.  
  
“Can I?”  
  
It takes her a moment to realize that he’s asking to feel her stomach. She recalled being pregnant with Henry and how everyone and their mother would just play grab hands with her belly and she was glad to have someone ask.  
  
She nods, knowing there isn’t much there, but it’s hard to say ‘no’ to a man who only ever wanted to be a father and whose kid kept being ripped away from him. Plus he was the kid’s Grandfather. And Emma liked him. Up until now, he’d been the only thing she’d had left of August.  
  
Geppetto reaches out and touches her very tiny baby bump gently, tears welling up in his eyes.  
  
“My boy, he was good to you?”  
  
“Always.”  
  
And he really had been. Always stuck by her side, gave her advice when she needed, and he’d been the best friend she’d ever had. They’d always had sexual tension but he’d never pushed her, not once. She’d been the one to initiate everything and even then, he’d always stopped to make sure it was really what she wanted.  
  
 _“Are you sure about this?”  
  
August pushed aside a piece of her hair, looking down at her.  
  
“You’re already inside of me, I think it’s a little too late be asking questions.”  
  
He smiled and kissed her before pulling away to look at her again.  
  
“I mean it; I don’t want you to hate me in the morning.  
  
“August, just shut the fuck up and fuck me already, will you?”_  
  
Emma turns away from Geppetto, smirking at the memory.  
  
“He was wonderful,” she says after a moment, turning back to him.  
  
“He loved your boy, Henry. When he came to work with me at the shop, the boy was all he could talk about. If my son were still with us, this would be a happy day for him. I know he made mistakes, but he was a good man. He would have been a good father, to both of your children.”  
  
Damn him. Now she was going to cry again.  
  
“I know. He,” she closes her eyes to try and fight off the tears, but it doesn’t work. “He was perfect. I mean, I know he wasn’t really perfect, but for me, he was perfect. I just wish he could be here. I don’t understand how nothing’s worked. It doesn’t really feel like he’s gone.”  
  
Geppetto hesitantly takes her face in his hands. Looking into her eyes, he whispers, “He’s not. Because of you. There’s a part of him literally inside of you. He’ll never really be gone.”  
  
Emma smiles, glad that he hadn’t tried to give her one of those ‘he lives on in your heart’ speeches that Archie kept trying to give her.  
  
“Come. It is not safe for you here. If she wants to find you, this is the first place she will look.”  
  
Emma knows this, but now, with the baby, taking the chance seems foolish.  
  
“Can I have a minute? I just want to tell him goodbye one more time.”  
  
August’s father gives her a small nod and kisses her forehead. He stands, resting his hand on August’s coffin for a long moment, saying his own goodbye, before leaving her without another word.  
  
Emma waits a moment to make sure she’s really alone before standing. Glancing over her shoulder, she starts to slowly open the casket. She cringes when the hinges squeak, but no one comes. Good, maybe her parents weren’t really out there, ready to take her away kicking and screaming if necessary. Maybe, but she doubted it. They were probably just not close enough to hear her.  
  
Looking back at August, she places a hand on his cool cheek, sighing.  
  
This is stupid, but she has to try, one last time, just to be sure.  
  
“Listen to me, you son-of-bitch. Remember that night you came to me all weepy because you thought Gold was going to kill you? And then we had sex for hours because you needed it and we were both stupid enough to forget a condom? And the time before that when it broke? Or maybe even the time before that and the stupid thing didn’t work? Do you remember all of those times you screwed me? Because I do. I remember them all because I want to be able to know which time was the time you knocked me up.  
  
But I have no idea and it doesn’t really matter because I’m pregnant and you’re not here and you need to be here because I can’t do this by myself. I have Henry and everyone depends on me and they’re going to drive me nuts with the Pregnant Princess bowing and trying to take care of me and Regina’s already tried to kill me twice and I’m sure she won’t stop and everything is a mess, so I need you.  
  
I don’t know why you’re still gone because I’ve tried everything. Maybe you don’t want to come back and if that’s the case you need to go over yourself because we need you.  
  
I need you and our kid is going to need you and Henry misses you. He needs a father because I don’t know what I’m doing half the time and having another kid isn’t going to fix that. So I need you to come back because even though I know I should believe everyone when they tell me you’re gone I can’t. Some part of me refuses to believe it, so you need to come back.”  
  
She knows better than to think her little speech would work when magic hadn’t, but she still stares at him for a moment, hoping.  
  
With a sigh, Emma closes her eyes, letting a few tears fall.  
  
“I won’t be back for a long time. I can’t keep doing this. It’s not healthy and I’m not going to lose our kid because of the stress or because Regina’s here waiting for me one of these days. I’m sorry.”  
  
Emma leans down and kisses his forehead, her tears falling onto his wooden form.  
  
“I will always love you. I’m sorry I never told you when you were alive. But I love you. And I promise, I’m going to make sure our kid loves you too.”  
  
Emma wipes her eyes and looks at him for another moment before closing his casket and locking it. The lock was enchanted, Regina wouldn’t be able to get in here and desecrate him in any way. Emma would love to see her try; she’d love a chance to kick her ass.  
  
“Goodbye August,” Emma whispers, taking one last look at him before leaving, quickly, before she can change her mind.


	3. Some Kind of Miracle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma can’t keep things hidden forever.

Two months pass by before Emma can’t hide being pregnant anymore.  
  
Things were bad enough when it was just Snow, James, Geppetto, and Henry fretting over here. Now it’s Granny knitting things, Ruby, who had preferred to keep her Storybrooke name, as had so many others, always grabbing at her stomach, and Archie always trying to get her to ‘discuss’ his feelings. Sometimes, Emma really wished he’d reverted back to being Jiminy, but according to her mother, Jiminy had been worse and she enjoyed the ‘melding’ of his two halves.  
  
Emma’s just fucking sick of it.  
  
At least Leroy isn’t as charmed by a baby coming like everyone else is. He’s pissed that their second best fighter is out of the game.  
  
 _“Now, now, honey, it’s not her fault. Besides, imagine, a baby!”  
  
Nova grinned at him, squealing with delight over a set of hats Granny’s finished.  
  
Leroy just gave her an ‘are you fucking kidding me’ look._  
  
Emma had been all smiles; he was her favorite dwarf for a reason.  
  
“Mom, do you think if we find a way back to our world, that-well, um-I mean, the baby and I-I was born here and-“  
  
“Hey, hey kid. Don’t worry about that. You’re both my kids and no one’s going anywhere unless the two of you get there first, go it?”  
  
Emma glances down at Henry with a small smile, tousling his hair. He grins up at her from where he’s hugging her around the middle. Henry makes everything easier. Sure, she was pregnant, August was gone, and Regina wanted to kill her, but at least her kid was safe and happy, so thing weren’t that bad, right?  
  
“All right Henry, you’re going to have to give your mom some breathing room so I can tell you if you’re going to have a little brother or a little sister.”  
  
Dr. Whale gives Henry a smile and slides over.  
  
Emma still doesn’t know who he really is and she doesn’t ask. She respects that some people didn’t want to deal with their fairytale lives, not yet. She’s just glad that he’s on their side now, because they needed a doctor, especially since the dwarves loved to get themselves in Regina’s way, which resulted a shit load of injuries.  
  
Especially Leroy.  
  
Good God, he was a moron. A hilarious moron, but still a moron.  
  
“All right my boy, you see that, right there?” Whale points to the ultrasound screen. He always does this, directs the visits to Henry, because he gets so immersed in it all and it’s almost magical to see his reactions to things. And then he would run off to tell his grandparents the good news and Whale could speak to her in adult speak.  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
Emma smiles. It’s impossible not to when Henry lights up like that. Even with everything they’ve been through, he was still full of hope. Everyone in this town looked up to her because she was their ‘savior’, but Henry was hers.  
  
Henry and the little bean; with her luck, August’s kid would be a pain in her ass. Cute, but a pain in the ass.  
  
Not that she minded.  
  
“You’re going to have a little sister,” Whale looks up to give her a small nod.  
  
“COOL!  
  
HEY GRANDMA! GRANDPA!”  
  
Henry speeds out of the room to the waiting room where Emma’s entourage is waiting.  
  
Emma smiles and shakes her head, looking down for a moment. Sometimes, he’s too adorable for words. With a sigh, Emma looks back at Whale, waiting to hear if there’s anything else she needs to know.  
  
“Congratulations, Miss Swan. She looks perfect. Heartbeat is good, she’s the right size, and all of your tests are normal. Just try to keep doing what you’re doing and you’ll be fine.”  
  
He didn’t need to remind her to avoid stress; they’ve had this talk a million times.  
  
“Thanks, Whale.”  
  
“Anytime, Princess.”  
  
Emma rolls her eyes and Whale chuckles.  
  
 _Asshole._


	4. Much Too Much

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rumpelstiltskin decides to call in that favor Emma owes him.

Emma sends everyone home ahead of her. When they protest she reminds them that they’ll only be a block or so ahead of her, so they agree.  
  
She just wants the time alone to think about August without someone asking her what’s wrong.  
  
 _“August, this isn’t funny, stop laughing!”  
  
He was being a cheeky little fuck and it was pissing her off. Emma smacked him on the arm with a sigh, leaning back against his headboard.  
  
“I’m sorry, hey, seriously, come here.”  
  
He leaned up to kiss her but she turned away, annoyed.  
  
“Don’t be like that,” he whispered in that tone of his that was impossible to resist. That sort of wounded puppy voice. She hated when he used that voice.  
  
As stubborn as Emma is, she gives in with a sigh after a moment. He was too gorgeous to avoid looking at. She glances over, not happy about it, but smirking. Then August kissed her, quickly, before pulling her into his arms. Emma turned from him, so her back was against his chest. August rubbed her arm gently while kissing her shoulder.  
  
“We’ll be fine. Shit happens. And if you’re pregnant, we’ll deal with it.”  
  
Emma huffed.  
  
“You’ll be fine. I’m the one who’s going to have to carry the damn thing. All because of you and your penis.”  
  
“I don’t recall you complaining,” he whispered in her ear and she swatted his hands away as they snaked over her waist.  
  
August let out a sigh.  
  
“Look, I think our kid would be awesome and cute. And if we’re lucky, exactly like you. And a girl. I always wanted a girl,” he said quietly.  
  
Emma turned to look back at him.  
  
“Really?” She was skeptical. August thinking about kids? The two didn’t compute in her mind.  
  
“Really. And if she’s yours she’ll be a bad-ass chick, just like you,” he told her with a grin, leaning down to kiss her.  
  
Emma let herself enjoy the kiss before breaking it.  
  
“Well, what would we name it?”  
  
It was a stupid question but she wanted to trip him up so he would freak out the way she was freaking out.  
  
August shrugged. “I don’t fucking know, Emma. Um, Emmeline. That way she’s kind of named after you. What do you think?”  
  
Emma rolled her eyes. He was being far too calm. It was irritating. “Stop trying to be charming, it’s not going to get you into my pants.”  
  
August slid his fingers up her shirt and kissed her neck.  
  
“Really? Because I kind of like being in your pants.”  
  
Emma found herself smiling and shook her head.  
  
“Damn you, you bastard.”_  
  
“Sheriff Swan?”  
  
Emma sighs, annoyed that someone would break her out of her memories of August. And when she sees who it is, she groans. Of course, she should have recognized that annoying voice. At least he wasn’t calling her ‘Your Majesty’. That would be really fucking annoying.  
  
“Rumpelstiltskin. Belle.”  
  
Emma doesn’t know why Belle puts up with him. She wouldn’t.  
  
“What can I do for you?”  
  
Belle glances towards her lover, looking uneasy. Emma gets a sinking feeling in her stomach. She knows that look in his eyes and it isn’t a good one. It was the same look he got whenever he reminded her-  
  
“No.”  
  
Emma’s voice breaks when she speaks and she has to fight back vomit.  
  
Back when it had finally hit her that this while Fairytale thing was real she’d brushed up on everything she could find in books and by talking to her friends and there was one thing he was known for doing and she’d kill him before she let it happen.  
  
“Now, now, as I recall, you do owe me a favor. And I also recall that you cost me a child, so really, you owe me.”  
  
“You’re a monster!”  
  
Belle is in his face, glaring and livid, before Emma even has a chance to kick his ass like she wants to. Pregnant or not, she’ll do it. And Emma doesn’t know why Belle’s so surprised, surely lovely wasn’t that fucking blind.  
  
Emma pushes Belle out of the way and backs Rumpelstiltskin against a wall, making eye contact. She’s still the Sheriff, so while he may know how to use magic, she still has her gun.  
  
“You are not touching her! Do you understand me? I agreed to a favor. I never agreed to hand over my next kid to you, you sick son-of-a-bitch.”  
  
“Now, now, dearie, no need to get worked up, there’s the child to think of. A little girl, was it? I’m sure Mr. Booth would be so proud were he still with us.”  
  
Belle has to pull Emma away from him when she tries to take a swing at him. Mentioning August was going too far.  
  
“What do you even need a baby for anyway?” Belle asks him while still trying to fight to keep Emma in her arms and off of Rumpelstiltskin.  
  
He gives Belle a ‘look’ and she lets go of Emma.  
  
Emma huffs and steps away, her fingers itching for her gun. She looks towards Belle, who is shaking her head, backing away from the two of them slowly.  
  
“It’s Regina, isn’t it? I knew you were meeting with her behind our backs, but this? You’re a bastard.”  
  
His guilty expression tells them both everything they need to know.  
  
Emma scoffs.  
  
“Come on Belle, you coming?”  
  
Emma pushes past him and Belle follows. Rumpelstiltskin reaches for her but she pulls away from him.  
  
“Belle-“  
  
“NO! I let it slide when you brought magic back because I know you thought it would bring your son back, but it didn’t work! And now we’re all still stuck here in this damn town with magic running loose and no way to find him! I don’t care what she told you, she can’t get him back for you! And even if she could, do you think he would ever forgive you if he knew what you had to do to get him back?  
  
I will never understand the pain of losing a child, but this is not the way and you know it.  
  
Regina just wants this baby to kill it, to get back at Emma for taking Henry. Don’t think I don’t know that. That she doesn’t know that. So if you ever want to see me again, you will back off. If you don’t, we’re done. There’s only so much I’m willing to turn a blind eye to.”  
  
Emma has to hand it to Belle; she’s kind of a bad-ass.  
  
“Belle, he’s my son-“  
  
“Goodbye.”  
  
They get half a block before he calls after them.  
  
“She’s going to get her hands on her one way or the other, you might as well let me take her so your debt to me is repaid. It’ll save a lot of trouble in the end.”  
  
Emma stops in her tracks, shaking. Composing herself, she turns to face him.  
  
“Then let her fucking try.”


	5. Enough Is Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James and Leroy are ready to kill Regina.

Emma manages to make it back to the apartment before throwing up. Snow holds her hair back, assuming it’s just morning sickness, but Emma hasn’t had morning sickness in over a week.  
  
When she’s finished, she slowly makes her way to the loveseat, all eyes on her. Belle paces back and forth in front of the window, her eyes red and puffy.  
  
Henry climbs onto the loveseat, laying his head on her lap. Emma strokes her head for a moment before launching into what just transpired on the street. When she’s finished, James slams his coffee mug on the table, shattering it.  
  
“I’m going to kill her.”  
  
“James-“  
  
“NO! Snow, this is going too far! We can’t protect Emma at all times. Even if we tried, she knows how to work magic better than we do. What if she finds a way in? There’s always a way in, no matter how smart we think we’re being. I’m not going to risk it. We lost Emma once; we’re not losing her again!”  
  
“I’m not saying we don’t do something, but rushing out and trying to kill her is dangerous,” Snow says, shaking her head.  
  
“I say we just axe her,” Leroy says with a grin, nodding.  
  
“LEROY!” Nova scoffs, disgusted and leaves his side to sit with The Blue Fairy.  
  
“What?” Leroy shrugs, giving Snow his ‘come on’ look. “She deserves it. And it’s not like you’re not all thinking the same thing. We’d all love to get a crack at it, am I right?”  
  
Snow rolls her eyes.  
  
“If my brothers were here, they’d be able to back me up on this. Besides, weren’t you the one who made a deal with Rumpelstiltskin to kill her?”  
  
“You did what?”  
  
Emma gives her mom a ‘look’.  
  
“I-ugh, I was um…enchant-you know, just shut up. All of you.”  
  
Henry and Emma exchange looks, both smirking.  
  
Ruby sits with Archie on the sofa, in his lap, running her fingers through his hair, looking thoughtful.  
  
“He can’t take the baby, right? I mean Emma never signed a deal with him, not like Ella did. She just promised to owe him a favor for letting Ella keep Alexandra, right?”  
  
Archie takes her hand and gives it a squeeze.  
  
“I don’t know. He’s a trickster, but without magic to bind their deal, I doubt it. But he doesn’t think the way normal people do. He’ll still try, but magically this isn’t something he can force on her. I think,” Archie says, watching Emma.  
  
 _Waiting for me to go crazy, no doubt_ , Emma thinks.  
  
“Blue?”  
  
They all turn to look at her, waiting. She’s their expert on magic, after all.  
  
“No. I don’t think so. But I agree that it won’t stop him from trying. He created this curse and let Regina unleash it in the hopes of finding his son. I don’t think there is anything he won’t do to get him back. And Regina must have given him reason to believe she could reunite them or he wouldn’t bother. Belle? Did he say anything? Anything that could help us?”  
  
Belle shakes her head, still pacing.  
  
“Nothing. Regina came to see him last night. I sent her away but I got the feeling they’ve been meeting in secret and I was just too stupid to see it. I knew when he asked me if the rumors about Emma were true that he was up to something but I had no idea it was this.  
  
I swear to you Emma, if I’d known anything I would have come straight to you.”  
  
“I know.”  
  
Belle sighs and looks away.  
  
Emma watches The Blue Fairy, who looks tormented.  
  
“Don’t worry, my dear. We won’t let her be harmed,” Geppetto assures Blue, taking her hand and running his thumb over the back of her hand trying to comfort her.  
  
She squeezes his hand and gives him a small nod.  
  
“Nova and I have magic, not as much as Regina, but enough. I’m not going to let her harm this child. We’ve already lost Pinocchio, I won’t let them take this from us either.”  
  
It occurs to Emma for the first time that they two of them, Geppetto and Blue, often seemed couple-like. She looks between the two, trying to figure it out, but it’s crazy. She’d forbidden Nova from being with Leroy back in their world because Fairies weren’t allowed to love, so what was she missing?  
  
She thinks back to the story August added to Henry’s book. Geppetto had whished on her for a child, so she’d turned him into a living puppet with magic, and when he’d died she used magic again to give him life.  
  
Emma lets out a sigh.  
  
She’d created with magic. She may not have given birth to him, but August was her son too.  
  
This all really sucked.  
  
And the familiar pain in her chest that came from missing August was surfacing.  
  
“Mom?”  
  
She looks down to find those beautiful blue eyes of Henry giving her a worried look. Emma pulls Henry against her and kisses his temple.  
  
“Everything’s going to be fine,” Emma tells him, not sure if she really believes it herself, but she’s determined to make sure Henry believes it. Because she’ll be damned if Regina every hurts her kid again.


	6. Life during Wartime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma’s close to delivering and things in Storybrooke are dangerous; which of course means Leroy and Ruby are busy getting drunk to celebrate their acts of heroism.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want Ruby to be Emma’s new best friend.

  
Regina waits a week before her first abduction attempt. She’s made attempts to kidnap Henry, sure, but this time he’s not the intended target; Emma and the baby are.  
  
The morning after Rumpelstiltskin’s attempt to bargain for the baby the war council convened and decided to set up shop at Granny’s. The diner and Bed and Breakfast were two of the very few places Regina had never controlled. It was the safest place in town. There was no basement, underground tunnels, or secret passageways or rooms for Regina’s guards to sneak in through. If they wanted to attack, they had to do so where they could be seen coming.  
  
So when her men came, they were ready for them.  
  
They tried again a few days later, when Emma was out in the open.  
  
Regina was losing her grip on things, any sane person would have known it was a set up from the get go. Emma wasn’t stupid enough to endanger herself like that; especially on the night of the full moon.  
  
Apparently The Evil Queen wasn’t familiar with the moon cycle.  
  
“They’re getting confident, which is dangerous,” Granny tells Emma one night over dinner.  
  
“I know,” she glances over to Ruby and Leroy who are chuckling over the latest attack. The other six dwarves are all laid out in beds upstairs with injuries. Leroy should be with them, but he’s a stubborn ass who won’t even let a broken leg keep him down. Even Nova can’t stand to be in the same room with him anymore.  
  
Regina’s forces are hurting, sure; Ruby’s wolf had made sure of that. But Emma knows that it’s too soon to be getting cocky, things can still go wrong. Besides, she can’t shake this feeling in the pit of her stomach that there’s something that isn’t right, something they’re missing.  
  
She’s still suspicious of Belle, who has yet to speak to her lover since leaving him three months ago. Emma is suspicious of everyone at this point, but especially of anyone with links to Regina or Rumpelstiltskin, no matter how small they may be.  
  
Even though she hides it well, she’s stressed out and her hormones are out of controlling. Spending most nights having nightmares about August doesn’t help. The closer she gets to delivering this baby, the more she misses him.  
  
Granny reaches out to squeeze Emma’s hand, startling her.  
  
“You should eat something,” she says, motioning to Emma’s plate, which she hadn’t touched. “And get some rest. The last thing you need is for that baby to come early.”  
  
Emma glances down to her large stomach. She has five weeks to go. If they can keep the baby safe long enough the plan is to take Henry and leave Storybrooke. They’re the only two left who can leave and if the baby is born outside of Storybrooke they can keep her away from Regina.  
  
Emma has a feeling that things won’t work out the way her father thinks they will. Regina has the borders blocked and Whale has warned her that with the amount of stress she’s under, she can deliver at any time. However her insistence that she and Henry leave now falls on deaf ears.  
  
She meets Granny’s gaze and nods, taking a small bite of her dinner roll, not tasting it. The bread feels like cardboard in her dry mouth, but with some water, she’s able to get it down.  
  
“I’m going to check on Henry.”  
  
Granny shakes her head, but she knows better than to argue with Emma. Apparently her mother had been a stubborn pregnant woman too.  
  
“So, Emma, when are you going to tell me how the sex was?”  
  
Emma stops and side-glances Ruby. She puts a hand on the bar and looks at her two friends with a scoff.  
  
“Seriously? The father of my child is dead and you want to know how the sex was?”  
  
“Yup. I want to know all about what he was hiding in those tight leather pants. I don’t even care that I used to babysit him, he grew up into a sexy man.”  
  
Ruby toasts Emma, sipping her drink while Leroy snorts into his beer.  
  
It’s a credit to how fond Emma is of Ruby that she doesn’t get pissed off and storm off. Instead, Emma smiles.  
  
“I don’t know Ruby, how’s the sex with Archie? Do the crickets chirp?”  
  
“Actually, they do. And it’s wonderful, thanks for asking. In fact, he does this thing where he takes his-“  
  
“OKAY! I’m leaving!”  
  
Leroy jumps off of his barstool and flips Ruby the finger.  
  
Emma watches him leave and then nudges Ruby with her foot.  
  
“You’re evil.”  
  
“I know, but he’s so easy to embarrass. Dwarves and fairies aren’t really known for being sexual, I bet you he and Nova just sit across from each other in bed and gaze at one another without ever touching.”  
  
Ruby finishes her drink and clears her throat while Emma shakes her head. “So, come on. Was all of the lusting after him and his sexy stubble worth the wait? The two of you certainly spent enough time infecting the town with all of your sexual tension. If you weren’t knocked up I wouldn’t believe he finally managed to get into your pants. Actually, I’m more surprised that the two of you didn’t just jump each other in the street for the entire diner to see.”  
  
Emma leans in to Ruby with a smirk. She’s willing to play along, after all, it’s not like she has another other girlfriends in this town, not anymore. She isn’t exactly going to talk to her mother about these things.  
  
“It was the best sex of my life. The kind of sex that is so good you get off just remembering it. That man could work that tongue of his in ways you can’t even begin to imagine. And those fingers? All calloused from the riding?”  
  
Emma closes her eyes recalling the memory. With a sigh she opens them again.  
  
“And for such a cocky bastard, he was an overly generous lover. Multiple orgasms every time. I actually had to beg him to stop once because I couldn’t handle them anymore.”  
  
Ruby’s mouth hangs open.  
  
“Jesus-Fucking-Christ Emma.”  
  
“I know, right?” Emma leans against the bar, her aching back and feet unable to take standing anymore, but her stomach was too big to hop on the barstools anymore.  
  
“I know what it’s like, you know. Back,” Ruby pauses, recalling painful memories. “Back in our world I was in love. Peter. He was amazing. It was all stolen glances and kisses and secret meetings. He was going to run away with me, but one night the wolf got him. I didn’t even know it was me.  
  
And I love Archie, I really do. He’s kind and compassionate and gentle, but Peter was my True Love. You never get over it. I can’t imagine how much harder it is for you, not having him here with the baby coming. Especially with everyone always telling you how brave and strong you are for dealing with it. But I know how it is, you put on the smile for everyone else, but it's killing you inside.  
  
Those kids are lucky to have you.  
  
I think I would have lost it by now.”  
  
Emma is touched by Ruby’s words. She’s the only one who doesn’t walk on eggshells around her and Emma’s grateful for it.  
  
“But at least you have Archie now.”  
  
“Yeah and you’re going to have the world’s cutest baby. Henry’s already super adorable; I don’t think the world can handle another one. And this one will have August in him too. I hope I never have a son; he’s going to fall in love with your daughter the moment he sets eyes on her. She’ll be too pretty for anyone to resist.”  
  
Emma rolls her eyes.  
  
“The fairest of them all?”  
  
Ruby grins.  
  
“Of course; Hair black as night, lips red as blood, and skin white as snow,” Ruby says seriously.  
  
They both burst out laughing and Emma pushes away from the bar.  
  
“I need to check on Henry, don’t get too drunk tonight or you might end up talking Archie into giving you that son.”  
  
“He would be an adorable little ginger,” Ruby muses. “Maybe I will.”  
  
Emma shakes her head as she walks away, knowing Ruby’s kidding, but the image of a tiny Archie comes to mind and it’s an amusing one.  
  
An image crosses her mind of a young August from the memories she received when she finally believed in the curse. An ache goes through her chest when she remembers that she’ll never have a son to take after August. But then she remembers Henry and August’s desire for a little girl and the pain lessens.


	7. Unaccompanied Minor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle’s poor judgment turns things over to Regina’s favor and puts everyone in danger.

  
The moment Emma enters Henry’s room she knows something is off. She flips the light on to the room she now shares with Henry, the room that is still filled with August’s things because she hasn’t had the heart to do anything with them since moving in.  
  
Her bed, where she and August spend countless nights fighting and then fucking is empty, of course. But it’s the other bed, the one she had moved in for Henry that worries her.  
  
“Henry!”  
  
Emma moves into the bedroom, not bothering to close the door. Henry’s bed has been slept in but he’s gone. She rushes into the bathroom but it’s empty. Panic rushes through her as she realizes her worst fear has come true.  
  
Behind her the sound of the door clicking shut can be heard.  
  
Emma’s blood goes cold when she hears the familiar thud of a cane on the hardwood.  
  
“Hello, Sheriff Swan.”  
  
She hears mumbling that is distinctively Henry and she turns to find Rumpelstiltskin holding Henry, duct tape covering his mouth.  
  
Emma wants nothing more than to tackle Rumpelstiltskin to the ground, but there’s the baby to think about and if something goes wrong, Henry’s the one who will end up hurt.  
  
In the corner she eyes Belle trembling with tear as one of Regina’s guards holds a knife to her throat.  
  
“I’m sorry, Emma, I-“  
  
“Shut up,” the guard commands and Rumpelstiltskin’s knuckles turn white as he grips his cane, anger crossing his features.  
  
“So, Regina screwed you over?”  
  
“Are you surprised?”  
  
“No, are you?”  
  
“No, but trust me, if he harms Belle in any way, Regina will be the one who pays for it, with her life.”  
  
Emma doesn’t doubt his words.  
  
“Give me my kid.”  
  
“Only if you agree to take his place. Regina was very clear that she wants you brought her alive. She may have mentioned wanting the boy as well, but that was before she sent her thugs along to secure my loyalties. And seeing as he wasn’t a part of original deal, I’m willing to spare him.”  
  
They’re crazy, both of them.  
  
“How do I know Henry will be safe? From the looks of it, Regina’s guard there isn’t going to let you leave without him.”  
  
Rumpelstiltskin grins.  
  
“Because, dearie, I’m making sure of it.”  
  
With a snap of his fingers the guard falls to the ground, dropping his knife. His hands move to his throat as he struggles to breathe.  
  
“You’re killing him!”  
  
Belle is still shaking like mad, but she’s smart enough to go for the knife. With another snap of his fingers, Rumpelstiltskin makes the knife disappear. Another and the guard drops dead.  
  
“You bastard!”  
  
Emma and Bella lock eyes, both knowing that even if they team up, he has magic and there is no point in trying to overtake him. She sees the desperate look in Belle’s eyes and Belle mouths an ‘I’m sorry’ to Emma as her hand moves to adjust the dress that is far too big for her.  
  
Everything starts clicking into place for Emma.  
  
“How did you get in here?”  
  
She already knows the answer, but she wants to hear it from him.  
  
“Belle agreed to meet me in the alley outside the diner, to talk. I only planned to attempt to lure you out with her, but Regina had other plans.”  
  
Emma eyes Belle, recognizing the fear on her face.  
  
“Belle didn’t tell you why she suddenly agreed to speak to you after months of ignoring your letters?”  
  
Belle shakes her head, mouthing ‘no’ to Emma, pleading with her not to spill her secret. All of her suspicions about Belle are beginning to make sense. She was guilty of hiding something, but not of working with the enemy. Emma wasn’t going to be the one to tell him and risk putting even more people in danger.  
  
“No.”  
  
He suddenly realizes how easily this plan fell into place.  
  
“Belle?”  
  
He looks at her desperately but she shakes her head.  
  
“I was hoping maybe you had decided to stop playing games with Regina, clearly I was wrong.”  
  
His face falls and he grips Henry’s shoulder, which isn’t necessary. He clearly has some sort of spell over him because Henry isn’t fighting him. When Rumpelstiltskin’s eyes move back to Emma, she watches as Belle gratefully wraps her arms around her middle, silently crying in relief.  
  
“Now, come with me and the boy can stay. She’ll try to come back for him at some point, but he’ll be safe for the evening.”  
  
“I don’t believe you.”  
  
“Now, now, Sheriff Swan, I thought you and I once agreed to never lie to one other. If the boy’s safety isn’t enough to persuade you, two of Regina’s men are waiting inside young Mr. Booth’s tomb with gasoline and matches, ready to burn it to the ground on my orders. Wood does burn awfully quickly. It’d be a shame if Geppetto no longer has a place to see his son.”  
  
Before Emma can think twice, she draws her gun and aims it right at his head.  
  
“The boy would be dead before you could pull the trigger.”  
  
Emma’s shaking with anger, her eyes full of tears.  
  
So, this was it. Kill one child to save the other. While she can bear the pain of losing August’s body, she knows she can never bear the pain of losing Henry. At least if August’s child has to die, she’ll be going with her.  
  
Emma lowers her gun and looks at Henry, her lower lip quivering. ‘I love you’, Emma mouths to him, tossing her gun to the floor.  
  
“Hand Henry over to Belle and let them go, then I’ll go with you.”  
  
Rumpelstiltskin eyes her warily for a moment but a moment later he releases the enchantment over Henry and pushes him towards Belle. Bella falls to her knees and pulls the tape off of Henry’s mouth, taking him in her arms.  
  
“Mom! NO!”  
  
“Henry, we have to go,” Belle grabs him around the middle and he struggles against her, but she manages to secure him long enough to get him out of the room.  
  
Emma closes her eyes, the sound of Henry’s screams killing her inside.  
  
 _I didn’t even get to say good-bye_ , she thinks to herself.  
  
But she refuses to let the bastard standing in front of her know how much pain she’s in.  
  
“All right, let’s go pay Regina a visit.”


	8. Winning a Battle, Losing the War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina prepares to enact her revenge, but someone has other plans.

“Miss Swan, welcome.”  
  
A moment ago, Emma was in her room. The next, she and Rumpelstiltskin are standing in what looks to be a dungeon. The room is empty, save for Regina. A fire burns in a large pit and there is a large hunting knife on a stone slab.  
  
“That’s ‘Your Majesty’ to you, Regina.”  
  
Regina looks ridiculous; exactly the way she’s drawn in Henry’s book. A book, she’d recently discovered had been written by none other than The Blue Fairy. She hadn’t done Regina justice; she looked far more ridiculous in her evil witch garb in person.  
  
“Now, now, Princess, is that any way to speak to your grandmother?”  
  
Regina glares at Rumpelstiltskin, not amused.  
  
“You may go. My business is with the girl and her bastard.”  
  
Emma has decided if she’s going down, she’s going down with a fight.  
  
Rumpelstiltskin grips her shoulder.  
  
“Wait,” he whispers in her ear, like she’s in on some plan of his.  
  
“As you can see, I’ve fulfilled my half of our bargain. You don’t get to touch her until you fulfill your half.”  
  
 _Of course, he just wants to make sure he gets his kid before letting Regina kill mine; lovely._  
  
“I’m not giving you a damn thing until I’m done with her.”  
  
Regina approaches them and Emma meets her eyes, not afraid.  
  
“I’m going to cut that little mistake right out of you and while you bleed to death, I’m going to rip out her heart, just like I did Graham’s, and then I’m going to crush it. And as you lay dying, knowing the pain of losing everything dear to you, my men are going to burn Granny’s to the ground, with my wretched little step-daughter inside.  
  
She was always impossible to defeat but you my dear, you make it too damn easy.”  
  
“You’re demented,” Emma spits out, disgusted. By now, they would all be preparing for battle. Her father would not stand idly by and allow Regina’s men to do anything. She could almost picture the battle in her mind.  
  
But she still feared for Henry.  
  
“Henry was right about you, you never loved him. If you did, you wouldn’t be prepared to kill him.”  
  
Regina grins.  
  
“Oh, but I’m not going to kill him.”  
  
With a wave of her hand, lights fill the chamber, and Emma sees Belle and Henry trapped behind what looks like a mirror.  
  
She rushes forward, but Rumpelstiltskin holds her back.  
  
“We had a deal!”  
  
“Yes, well, I broke it. And don’t try saving them; they’re secured in my mansion, along with guards.”  
  
Rumpelstiltskin pushes past Emma, livid.  
  
“Where is my son?”  
  
“I have no clue; I lied to you, you little imp; just like you lied to me. Do you really think I had no idea you planned to double cross me and keep the little princess over there safe the moment you had your son back?”  
  
“Did you really think I was going to let you murder an innocent child?”  
  
“Absolutely not.”  
  
Emma doesn’t want to believe that he had an intention of protecting her because that would mean having to trust him, but he’s her best shot out of here, so Emma creeps behind him, trying to stay out of Regina’s sight. If he can keep her distracted long enough, she can make a grab for the knife and attack Regina with it.  
  
But Emma doesn’t have a chance because suddenly she’s thrown back against a wall with an invisible force. The room feels suddenly thick and she realizes that Regina and Rumpelstiltskin are going at it, both throwing curses at the other. There is so much magic being used in the room it’s literally bouncing off the walls.  
  
She can’t tell who’s winning because a dark green cloud rolls into the room, making the ground beneath her shake.  
  
 _This isn’t good._


	9. No Man’s Land

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While the battle between magical forces is going on around her, Emma goes into the labor, just as the last threads of the curse begin to break.

Emma is ready to run and let Rumpelstiltskin and Regina kill one other, but her body has other plans.  
  
Grabbing the wall for support, Emma cries out, hunching over in pain.  
  
The baby is coming; now.  
  
 _Crap._  
  
She looks around desperately for a way out. She lets out a small gasp when she realizes parts of the dungeon are disappearing into the green mist. She remembers Henry’s book and the purple smoke that brought magic back to the town.  
  
“We’re going back?”  
  
There’s no one to speak to because her captor and kidnapper have both been sucked into the green mist. Another contraction hits her and Emma screams.  
  
It’s too early.  
  
And if they go back…  
  
August!  
  
She knows it’s just his body, but what if he doesn’t come back with them?  
  
Emma has nowhere to run, so she closes her eyes and lets the mist take her, praying that she somehow manages to deliver this baby safely.  
  
When the mist clears, Emma’s on her knees, clutching her middle in pain. This kid is determined to be born. There are tears in her eyes but they’re not from pain, they’re from worry. She doesn’t know how in the Hell to do this by herself.  
  
“EMMA!”  
  
She feels someone grab her from behind and cries out in relief.  
  
“Mom?”  
  
“ARCHIE! I found her!”  
  
“FUCK!” Emma grips her mother’s arms, another contraction hitting.  
  
“We have to stop it! She can’t come yet, it’s too early!”  
  
“Emma,” Snow grabs Emma’s face in her hands, “you don’t have a choice. She’ll be fine. You were early too. We’re going to do this together. I promise you, everything is going to be okay. We’re home.”  
  
“Henr-“  
  
“Your father and his men are saving him. Regina?”  
  
“I don’t know.”  
  
Emma catches sight of the Enchanted Forest for the first time but doesn’t have time to appreciate it because another contraction hits her full force.  
  
Archie appears, breathing heavily.  
  
“Thank God, we were afraid-is she having the baby? Now?”  
  
“Yes, move, Archie. You’re going to have to support her. Take her.”  
  
Emma lets Archie pull her against his chest as her mother takes over the show. Emma’s done this before so it’s not new, but having to give birth on a forest floor? That takes some getting used to. So does having to do this without an epidural.  
  
Good God, the pain.  
  
“Emma, one more and she’ll be here, just give me a really good push.”  
  
Emma pushes as hard as she can and falls back against Archie, whose poor hand is probably broken by now, and sighs with relief, glad it’s over.  
  
But when she doesn’t hear crying right away her heart speeds up and she begins to freak out.  
  
She crawls towards her mother who is looking down at the little bundle of goo and hair, crying, but with a smile on her face.  
  
“She’s perfect, just like you were. It feels like yesterday I was holding you.”  
  
Emma hears a small hiccup from the bundle in her mother’s arms and all of the fear rushes out of her. A moment later the baby begins fussing.  
  
“She’s okay?”  
  
Emma’s face is covered in tears and she’s sure she looks like a mess, but she doesn’t care. As long as her kid is okay, nothing else matters.  
  
“Of course she is. She’s a fighter, just like the rest of the women in her family. Here, take her.”  
  
Emma yanks off her jacket and helps her mother wrap the baby up before taking her into her arms.  
  
“Hey kid,” she whispers, gently rocking her. The last time she did this had been the hardest day of her life. But this time she didn’t have to give her kid away.  
  
Emma lets out a small sob, thinking of Henry and kisses her daughter’s forehead.  
  
“You’re going to be okay,” she whispers, praying that her father gets Henry back safely.  
  
“Does she have a name yet?” Archie peeks over Emma’s shoulder, smiling down at the little one.  
  
Emma smiles and runs her fingers over her daughter’s dark hair. Goddammit, she did look exactly like Snow White. Well, like Henry, really. It was too early to tell, but Emma prays that she ends up with August’s eyes. Emma loved those eyes.  
  
“Yes. Her name is Emmeline. Emmeline Amelia Booth. It’s what August wanted. But we can call her Amelia,” she whispers, kissing her daughter again. One Emma in the family was more than enough.  
  
Snow runs her fingers through Emma’s hair, smiling.  
  
“Your Majesty? How far to the castle?”  
  
“I have no idea. We just all appeared here, I’m guessing based on where we were when the curse finished breaking.”  
  
“What happened?” Emma looks up. “Why didn’t we get sent back when I broke the curse in the first place?”  
  
“I don’t think you broke it, not really. You just brought back our memories. You must have-“  
  
Archie and Snow lock eyes for a minute.  
  
“You don’t think?”  
  
“Yes I do, Archie.”  
  
“What?” Emma feels completely out of the loop.  
  
“I think Amelia broke the curse,” her mother whispers.  
  
“What?”  
  
“The first curse took over while you were being born. Maybe when you went into labor with her, it finished what you started when you gave Henry True Love’s Kiss,” Archie explains.  
  
“Seriously?”  
  
“We don’t know, come on. Let’s get you cleaned up, I know it’s going to be hard, but you’re going to have to walk. Archie and I were in the graveyard fighting one of Regina’s men when we were brought back. I’m guessing she was keeping you somewhere near there when we were brought over. Your father was headed for the mansion, so he can’t be far.  
  
Once we can get to the palace Whale and Doc can look you and the baby over.”  
  
Emma glances into the woods.  
  
“If you were in the graveyard, do you think…maybe August is out there somewhere?”  
  
Archie takes her hand and helps her to her feet. Emma’s body isn’t strong enough to do this yet, so she leans against him for support. “I don’t know, but I promise, Geppetto and I will come looking for him.”  
  
Emma nods, clutching Amelia to her chest.  
  
 _Everything one step at a time_ , she reminds herself.


	10. The Land with Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Blue Fairy has a whole Hell of a lot of explaining to do.

Emma sits up in a four-poster bed that her father and Archie had brought into the nursery so she doesn’t have to leave the baby’s side. It’s surreal, being inside of a nursery that was meant for her. It’s touching, especially to a woman who has spent her entire life believing she’d been abandoned on the side of a highway. She’d chided herself many times for going easy on her parents, but now she’s glad she’s never given then any grief.  
  
They really had loved her.  
  
Henry is asleep at her side, snoring quietly, with his finger inside of his baby sister’s fist.  
  
Apparently Henry’s charm was lost on no one, including Amelia.  
  
Emma holds her daughter, resting her head on top of Henry’s. She catches her mother’s eye and smiles. Snow looks overcome with joy looking at the three of them.  
  
“So, no one knows what happened to Regina?” Emma speaks in a whisper, not wanting to wake either of her kids.  
  
“No. My men and I stormed Regina’s mansion and found Belle and Henry locked in the basement. All of her men were either sent to Granny’s to attack or to protect her in the Graveyard. We think she kept a room underneath her father’s tomb, that’s where Rumpelstiltskin took you. You say they were battling when you saw them last?”  
  
Her father stands behind her mother, his hand resting on her shoulder.  
  
“Yeah, just as we were brought back here.”  
  
Her father sighs.  
  
“She can be anywhere.”  
  
Her mother reaches up to grasp his hand.  
  
“But at least we’re all together and safe.  
  
“Where is she?”  
  
Geppetto rushes into the room followed by The Blue Fairy who is still human and Archie.  
  
“I tried to stop him, the Princess needs rest!”  
  
“It’s okay, Archie,” Emma insists, smiling at Geppetto. She carefully unclenches Amelia’s fist so she lets go of Henry’s finger and then sits up, motioning for Geppetto to come over.  
  
“Do you want to hold her?”  
  
Geppetto doesn’t speak; he just nods and carefully takes her out of Emma’s arms, holding the baby close to his chest. Tears form in his eyes and he smiles.  
  
“She has Pinocchio’s nose,” he says proudly. Both Emma and Snow hide chuckles. Apparently they’re the only ones who get it because James looks confused.  
  
The Blue Fairy appears behind Geppetto, peeking over his shoulder to watch the baby sleep.  
  
“Look at how beautiful our grandchild is. She’s perfect.” Geppetto is radiating happiness and he leans over and kisses The Blue Fairy right on the mouth.  
  
Archie groans and looks away, embarrassed.  
  
Emma gives her parents a ‘look’ and they both shrug.  
  
“Geppetto!” The Blue Fairy looks scandalized, except for the blush on her cheeks.  
  
“Who cares? I love this woman. Fairy politics kept us apart for years but I’m not letting them keep us apart any longer. I’ve already lost my Pinocchio; I’m not losing anyone else.”  
  
Emma rubs the back of her neck with a sigh.  
  
“Okay, someone needs to start explaining things to me, because I’m lost.”  
  
“Well, it all started, I suppose, when I was just a young fairy, like Nova,” The Blue Fairy began after a moment of hesitation, launching into a tale of how she fell in love with Geppetto but was forbidden to be with him, so she broke his heart. Years later, when he wished on the blue star for a child, she came to him and granted his wish. When Pinocchio drowned saving Geppetto and Archie, she returned to them and granted Pinocchio life as a way to make up for what she’d done to Geppetto and because she had grown to love the child they’d created through magic.  
  
“When we discovered what Regina was up to I wrote the book, but left out the part about Pinocchio because I didn’t think it would help you break it. The book was supposed to be for you. Pinocchio was supposed to stay with you and then use it to help you break the curse. Of course, things didn’t exactly turn out that way, so the book went to Snow. It was the only way to get the book to Henry.  
  
Henry was always meant to be a part of all of this.”  
  
Snow cut off The Blue Fairy. “Did you know, the entire time? About the curse?”  
  
“You mean, did I remember? Yes and no. Regina knew, of course. Rumpelstiltskin chose to forget, until he met Emma, then it all came back to him. And I remembered enough to make sure Emma fulfilled her destiny.  
  
You see, Henry was always meant to exist. Had we not been sent to the land without magic, young Emma and Pinocchio would have eventually fallen in love, they’re soul mates. When they came to this world, that didn’t change their fate, until-“  
  
“August left me,” Emma whispers, looking down at Henry. She remembers that his eyes are the same blue as August’s and as she traces her finger across his face Emma notices other similarities. But it doesn’t make sense.  
  
“But how? I think I would remember the father of my child and what I remember isn’t pleasant and isn’t August.”  
  
Emma is the only one who has caught on, so Blue continues her story.  
  
“Magic. When he left you as an infant, I felt it, but I was under the curse so it was all very confusing. As time went on, as it became clear that Henry was not going to come into existence without assistance, I started to remember bits and pieces. Because I’d had time to prepare, I made sure there would be certain things sent with us. Henry’s book was one of them, along with a few magical trinkets and potions. “  
  
She then explains how she used a spell to make August come back for Emma, the intent being to get them together long enough to conceive Henry and then to get August to guide her back on her path, but because magic in the other world was unpredictable, all it did was throw to throw the two in the one another’s path long enough to meet in a bar and conceive Henry. It then made them forget one another, much like Regina’s curse had taken the memories of those in Storybrooke, altering their memories.  
  
August had gone on about his life of drifting around the world and Emma was left to assume her abusive boyfriend was Henry’s father.  
  
“This is all insane,” Emma says when she’s done. Sure, she’s seen a lot of strange shit, but this is too much.  
  
“And wouldn’t I have remembered the first time I kissed August? I mean, True Love and all of that crap.” But as she says it, small flashes of memories that she recalled as dreams came to her.  
  
She rubs her temple, getting a headache.  
  
Geppetto doesn’t think it’s insane. He’s handed Amelia off to Snow and gazes down at Henry, crying. “Look at him! He looks just like my boy! How did we not see it before?”  
  
 _Oh great, this overly proud grandpa thing is getting old really fast._  
  
“That still doesn’t explain what happened with the curse,” James points out, irritated with all of the talk about his little girl getting knocked up.  
  
“I think I know,” Archie pipes up when Blue suddenly begins blushing again.  
  
“You see, the key to breaking any curse is True Love. Now, the reason Emma was The Savior is because she is the product of True Love.  
  
Rumpelstiltskin used the potion he created using Snow and James’ hair to seal the curse, making Emma the only hope we had to break the curse. He wanted the curse broken so he could find his son; however, I don’t think it worked out the way he expected it to. Magic never works the way it’s supposed to, it’s too unpredictable, especially there.  
  
Because Emma is the product of True Love she was able to, for example, give Graham his memories back with a kiss, because True Love’s Kiss breaks any curse and she is True Love encompassed in a person. When she kissed Henry, it brought back all of our memories because Henry was her True Love. It was like a double whammy. She’s True Love, he’s her True Love, and you get the picture.  
  
But it wasn’t enough to fully break the curse.”  
  
Emma was following Archie so far, but she still didn’t know what Amelia had to do with any of this and she told him as much.  
  
“You see, Emma, to break the curse, you needed powerful magic. True Love is the most powerful magic of all. The more of it you have, the stronger it is.  
  
Your parents conceived you in True Love, just like Pinocchio was created out of the love Geppetto and Blue shared for each other and Pinocchio himself. You were each brought into this world because of True Love. Because the two of you were strangers when you made Henry, his role in all of this was changed.  
  
But the two of you eventually found one another and without any magical involvement fell in love and created Amelia. She took Henry’s place.  
  
If August had never left you and the two of you had made Henry the way he was supposed to be made, when you came back to Storybrooke, the three of you would have had the power to break the curse, but because things didn’t happen that way, when you kissed Henry, you only partially broke the curse, because True Love was still there, it just wasn’t as strong as it needed to be to break a curse of that magnitude.  
  
So, I think, when you went into labor, it triggered whatever what left of the original curse that needed to be broken, sending us all back. Of course, it also seemed to undo a lot of Fairy magic because I’m human again.  
  
However, we won’t really know anything until we have time to assess the damages of the curse. Things will of course be different.  
  
And this is all a theory, of course, but it seems to make the most sense.”  
“Really? Because it just gave me a headache,” Emma responds.  
  
“I think we need to remember Emma isn’t familiar with our world and magic and how fate and all of it works, Archie. Next time, maybe tone it down,” Snow tells him with a small sigh.  
  
“What he’s saying is that you were always supposed to break the curse by sharing True Love’s Kiss with Henry but because things didn’t turn out the way they should have with you and August, it wasn’t until the two of you did what you should have done with Henry that everything came together. And even now we’re not entirely sure what’s going on. Clearly being back hasn’t made everything the way it was before. We’re home, we’re in a land with stable magic, but some things from the combination of both worlds have stuck.  
  
Like Archie here still being human. He was human to begin with, so perhaps some enchantments have been broken. But we won’t know everything for a while. We need to take things one day at a time. There is no need to worry right now. We’ll eventually have to battle Regina and complete the prophecy and there’s a lot of work to be done, but for today, Emma needs rest.”  
  
Emma gives her mom a grateful smile. She was dying for a nap.  
  
“I can live with that. Where is everyone else? Ruby? Granny? The dwarves?”  
  
“Granny’s assessing the damages to the castle and collecting supplies. Ruby is consoling Belle, who is apparently pregnant. I had no idea, did anyone else?” Archie adjusts his glasses, a bit nervous with all of the children popping up around him.  
  
“I had no idea. Poor thing,” Snow whispers.  
  
“I knew,” Emma says after a moment. “She’s been hiding it for weeks. I think it’s how Rumpelstiltskin got into the Inn. She agreed to meet him because she wanted to tell him, but he wasn’t really there to see her, as it turned out. Is she okay?”  
  
“She’s fine, just exhausted. Everyone is. The dwarves with injuries are resting and the others are patrolling the grounds with the guards,” Archie answers.  
  
“Archie, Ruby is asking for you. And according to the guards there’s a visitor for the Princess,” Granny says, entering the room.  
  
James goes for his sword, ready for a fight.  
  
Emma rolls her eyes.  
  
 _Men._  
  
“Who is it Granny?”  
  
She doesn’t dare to hope that it’s August, but when Granny speaks, she still feels disappointment.  
  
“Rumpelstiltskin.”


	11. Sympathy for the Devil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rumpelstiltskin comes to collect on his favor and someone lost is returned.

“James! This is insane, he can kill you!”  
  
Snow chases after James but he ignores her, walking with purpose, his sword drawn, ready for a fight.  
  
“CHARMING!”  
  
Even Emma stops in her tracks. The tone in her mother’s voice is frightening; it’s the voice of a Queen. Emma has to remind herself that her mother is the rightful Queen and she’d been born to rule. A good thing to remember the night time she considered doing something stupid.  
  
James turns and holds up a finger to silence them both.  
  
“Not now. I’m okay with you running things and telling me what to do, but not now. He kidnapped Emma! And you, get back to bed, you just gave birth,” he barks at Emma and while she respects that he’s standing up for himself and for her, she isn’t five years old and even if he is her father, she’s not going to listen to him.  
  
“I don’t think so. Both of my kids are safe and I have a few things to settle with good ol’ Rumpelstiltskin.” She’d left Henry and Amelia with Granny, Geppetto, and Blue. Between the three of them; a wood carver, a fairy, and a mean old woman, Emma felt assured that they’d be safe.  
  
“She’s right, if you’re going to insist on this, the three of us stand a better chance against him than just you.”  
  
Snow enters one of the many rooms in the corridor and emerges with two more swords.  
  
“Emma.”  
  
“No thanks,” Emma reaches for her gun holster and pulls out her service pistol. “The thing only has a few bullets left, but I’m a good shot.”  
  
Snow rolls her eyes.  
  
“Fine.”  
  
Emma knows that being up and walking around is stupid but she follows them into the throne room, where Rumpelstiltskin waits near the window. He turns and holds his hands up, as if he’s surrendering.  
  
“I just want to talk, Princess.” He nods in the direction of her parents. “Your Majesties, I wasn’t expecting to see the entire royal family. However, I do see congratulations are in order,” he said, motioning towards Emma’s stomach.  
  
“Shut up. What do you want,” Emma asks, her gun still drawn.  
  
James has his sword to Rumpelstiltskin’s throat and her mother stands behind him, her sword pointed to the ground, watching.  
  
“I’m here about that favor you owe me.”  
  
“You’re delusional if you think I’m going to hand over my kid.”  
  
“Ah, now, dearie, I never mentioned the child. I said I came about the favor; you did make me a deal. Do you plan to honor it?”  
  
Emma rolls her eyes, but she did give him her word.  
  
“Okay, then. If you don’t want my kid, what do you want?”  
  
His answer shocks her.  
  
“Forgiveness.”  
  
“Seriously?”  
  
Just when Emma thinks her life can’t get any weirder.  
  
James presses the tip of sword into Rumpelstiltskin’s neck.  
  
“You expect us to believe you came here to ask for forgiveness?”  
  
“Yes. You see, Emma and I have a deal, we don’t lie to one another.”  
  
He meets Emma’s eyes and she lowers her gun.  
  
“Let him speak. And for God’s sake, dad, drop the sword. These floors look like they’re a pain in the ass to get blood out of.”  
  
Snow smirks and moves to her throne, laying her sword across her lap.  
  
“James,” Snow warns when he doesn’t lower his sword.  
  
He hesitates but finally lowers it, pissed off.  
  
“If you make one move towards either of them, I will kill you.”  
  
“Of course, Your Majesty.”  
  
James moves back, standing in between Emma and Snow, ready to strike if necessary.  
  
“So? You want me to forgive you? Why? Why does it matter if I do? And what am I forgiving you for? For creating the curse? Or how about giving it to Regina? Trying to take my kid? Almost letting Regina kill me? I can keep going, you know.”  
  
Emma feels a small wave of lightheadedness, but she’s determined to keep her stance. She doesn’t want anyone to see her as weak.  
  
“I did all of that to try to get my son back, something I’m sure you’re familiar with. I’d like you to forgive me for all of it and perhaps someday Belle will also consider forgiving me as well.”  
  
As if on cue, Belle appears in the doorway, out of his sight. Emma makes eye contact with her for a moment but she shakes her head, not wanting him to see her just yet. Ruby’s hand is on her shoulder and Archie stands next to both of them, ready to shield them if necessary.  
  
“If she didn’t I wouldn’t blame her.”  
  
“We all make mistakes, Miss Swan. My intentions were driven by love for my son and intention is everything, after all.”  
  
Emma glances towards her father and then her mother, trying to get their gauge on things. Snow gives Emma a shrug and James grips his sword, ready for a fight.  
  
“And if I forgive you, we’re even?” She turns back to Rumpelstiltskin. “And you’ll turn over a new leaf? You’ll stop trying to bargain for children and messing with everyone’s lives? And your magical deals, they’ll stop too?”  
  
“Aye. I still hold great power, but I have no longer have interest in tricks or deals, the only magic I plan on using is against The Qu-Regina.”  
  
“And you’ll fight with us? On our side? Without screwing us all over?”  
  
“I will do anything to keep her safe.”  
  
Emma doesn’t have to ask who the ‘her’ is.  
  
She closes her eyes for a moment, to think, and because her entire body aches. She’s both physically and mentally exhausted and she can’t remember the last time she’s slept. Not to mention, she’d just given birth just a few hours earlier.  
  
She feels her father take her hand and she’s grateful to have him there to keep her standing.  
  
“Fine,” Emma says after a moment, opening her eyes. She doesn’t care about forgiving Rumpelstiltskin, not really, but she needs to do it for her sanity. She never got the chance to forgive August and it kills her every day. She knows she can’t walk around carrying grudges, not anymore. It’s exhausting.  
  
And above all else, the thing she wants most is to be free of the threat of war and of Regina and to be able to raise her kids in safety. Emma Swan has had enough adventure for a lifetime.  
  
The first step was to forgo holding a grudge against Rumpelstiltskin, especially since he could help them defeat Regina.  
  
“I forgive you, I don’t trust you, but I’m not going to hold a grudge against you. But I have one condition, you need to apologize.  
  
“I’m-“  
  
“Not to me. Belle is the person you need to apologize to, not me.”  
  
“I wouldn’t mind an apology.”  
  
Belle’s voice is stronger than Emma expects. Belle emerges from the doorway, her hand trembling, but the rest of her composed and steady.  
  
Rumpelstiltskin turns and the look on his face is enough for Emma to feel that her decision was the right one to make. He clearly loves Belle and Emma understands the lengths a parent will go to for their child.  
  
James pulls Emma into his chest and she leans against him, hoping this doesn’t take much longer; she really wants that fucking nap.  
  
“Belle,” Rumpelstiltskin reaches out to touch her cheek but she pulls away from him.  
  
“You kept me locked in a tower! And when I tried to love you, you cast me out like nothing! And then, when I came to you after Jefferson saved me from Regina, you didn’t take me to a doctor or check to make sure I was okay, you went and released magic!  
  
Because you can’t control yourself when it comes to magic.  
  
Then you tried to steal Emma’s baby! And everything you did for centuries as the Dark One? I don’t know how to forgive you.  
  
I don’t think you deserve forgiveness.  
  
And most days I don’t know why I love you.”  
  
“Belle, I’m sorry. The power corrupted me and I just wanted Bae back.”  
  
“Bae left because of your actions! Everything is on you. Don’t you understand that? He couldn’t bear to stay with you because of what you’d become and after he left you only got worse! Losing him should have made you a better man but it didn’t!”  
  
“Yes. I was a coward and I took the easy way out and then I let power consume me. And when I had the chance to start over with my boy, I made the wrong choice. I made a mistake! And I know that nothing I did makes it any better, but I just wanted him back!”  
  
Emma thinks of August again and closes her eyes, wishing she’d had a chance to tell him that she didn’t blame him for leaving. They’d been children and everyone makes mistakes. His mistake had been nothing compared to some of the evil things that occurred in the world.  
  
She just wants him back so they can both try to make things right, but she knows that sometimes you just have to live with your choices and mistakes.  
  
“But I love you and I swear to you, I will do everything in my power to make sure you know that and to make up for all of my sins. I don’t expect you to believe me, but I’m going to try. I’m going to prove myself to you.”  
  
Belle closes her eyes with a sigh.  
  
“Let him suffer a bit,” Ruby growls, clearly not one for forgiveness.  
  
“Ruby,” Archie starts, but Rumpelstiltskin cuts him off.  
  
“She’s right, I don’t deserve-I’m sorry.”  
  
He reaches his hand out towards her but pulls it back, knowing she doesn’t want him. Stepping away from her, he turns to Emma.  
  
“Your Majesty, I lost track of Regina somewhere near her castle, I assume she’s going to be running things from there. She’s got power but so do I. If you combine your forces with those of the other kingdoms, it won’t be difficult to overthrow her. I’ll return in the morning to discuss battle tactics if you want.”  
  
James squeezes Emma’s shoulder. This is her decision to make.  
  
“Fine. We need to find everyone first. There’s a lot to do, we can use all the help we can get. Plus you’ll know more about the curse and we have questions.”  
  
He gives her a nod and moves towards the door to leave, but Belle stops him, calling out.  
  
“Wait.”  
  
He turns to Belle and she moves towards him and takes his face in her hands, kissing him. When she pulls away, there are tears on both of their faces.  
  
“Belle?”  
  
“I’m not forgiving you, not until you do something to prove to me that things are really going to be different from now on. But I love you, I see the man you can be, and I just pray you can actually be that man, because your child deserves for you to be the best man you can be.”  
  
“But Bae-“  
  
“Not him,” Belle tells him, staring into his eyes.  
  
Ruby rolls her eyes and leads Archie to Snow, mumbling something about hormones making women stupid.  
  
“You’re-“  
  
“Papa?”  
  
The Blue Fairy appears with a small by a little older than Henry.  
  
Rumpelstiltskin looks between the boy and Belle, completely overwhelmed.  
  
“Is that his son?” Emma asks, at a loss.  
  
“Apparently when Emma broke the curse, she brought back everyone from our world, even those who weren’t in Storybrooke.” The Blue Fairy pushes Bae forward with a smirk and he runs to his father, throwing his arms around his middle.  
  
Emma turns away from their reunion and buries her face in her father’s shirt and he places his hand on her back, keeping her against him. Emma can’t bear to witness this anymore. It seems so unfair to her. She’s the savior, so why does Rumpelstiltskin get to have everything handed back to him? Why should get Belle, his son, and a new kid to top it off?  
  
She knows it’s selfish because she has her parents and her kids, but she really wants August back too.  
  
Emma feels herself start to drift off when a familiar voice snaps her out of it.  
  
“Did I miss the party?”


	12. Safe and Sound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma reunites with her True Love.

Emma’s body gives into the abuse it’s taken over the past two days and she faints in her father’s arms. When she comes to, it’s dark and she’s back in the nursery. Her entire body aches and her head is swimming. Her body demands more sleep but the only thing she cares about is the man standing over Amelia’s crib.  
  
“Are you real?”  
  
He gives her that skeptical look of his that she’s missed and his voice is even better than she remembered.  
  
“Depends on who you ask. Not many people think being created with magic makes you a real boy, but I think she’s proof that I’m as real as anyone else,” he tells her with a grin.  
  
Emma lets out a breath she wasn’t even aware she was holding and smiles.  
  
“You cheeky fucking bastard, it really is you.”  
  
Emma moves to go to him but he stops her, leaving the baby to sit on the edge of Emma’s bed.  
  
He takes her hand and rubs the inside of her palm with his thumb. “Stop trying to be a bas-ass and stay in bed, you need to rest.”  
  
Emma places her free hand on his cheek and lets out a small sob of relief when she realizes that she really isn’t dreaming.  
  
“You’re really here.”  
  
August moves his hand to the back of her neck and pulls her to him, kissing her. And it’s the best kiss of her life. “I’m really here,” he whispers after breaking the kiss, leaving her breathless.  
  
Emma throws her arms around him and buries her face in his shoulder, crying.  
  
August wraps his arms around him and rubs her back gently. “I missed you too,” he whispers, kissing her temple. “All I did when I was transformed was dream of you. I love you and I love our kid. She’s perfect. Just like you. You did well.”  
  
“ _We_ did well.” Emma pulls away to kiss him. She breaks it after a moment to look up at him. “How are you even here? I tried everything to bring you back. This just doesn’t feel real.”  
  
August pushes back a piece of her hair and kisses her again, pulling her against him. Emma places her hand over his chest, feeling his heartbeat, and deepens the kiss.  
  
“Does that feel real,” August asks, resting his forehead against hers.  
  
Emma nods and he lies back, pulling her down with him. She rests her head on his chest, listening to his steady intake of air and the rhythm of his heart.  
  
“So, what happened?”  
  
“I woke up in the forest, in a coffin, which is a good way to make someone claustrophobic, by the way, and had to break out of it. The only thing I wanted to do was find you, so that’s what I did.” He moves his hand through her hair as he speaks. “According to my mother the magic Rumpelstiltskin brought wasn’t enough to bring me back but once we came home, the magic here woke me up. She also mentioned our kid might have had something to with it too.  
  
Not that it matters what brought me back, because it was still a few months too late,” August says with a sigh. “I’m sorry you had to go through all of that alone. I should have been there with you, holding your hair back, keeping you and Henry safe, and I should have been the one holding your hand while you gave birth to our kid and not Archie.  
  
I messed up, Emma, and I’m sorry.”  
  
Emma lifts her head to meet his eyes.  
  
“Don’t be. There’s nothing to be sorry for. We were kids and you were scared and the foster system fucks kids like us over all the time. So you made mistakes, so have I. None of this is anyone’s fault but Regina’s. Don’t be mad at yourself, I’m not mad. I wish you’d been there to because every day it felt like I was drowning on dry land and it killed me.  
  
And I’m sorry I didn’t believe you. If I had, maybe you would have been there, but I don’t want to think about the things we could have done because there’s nothing we can do about it.”  
  
“When did you get so grown up?”  
  
“About the same time I pushed your kid out,” she says with a small chuckle and August pulls her in for another kiss. They stay like that for a few minutes until Emma needs to come up for air.  
  
“You should get some more rest,” he whispers.  
  
“Not yet, there’s so much I need to tell you. Henry-“  
  
“I know. My father told me. After I made you faint with my charming good looks,” Emma rolls her eyes at this. “The kid knows too. Sorry, I know you probably wanted to tell him but he likes to eavesdrop.”  
  
“Where is he?”  
  
“Asleep. I carried him into his room after he fell asleep; the kid refuses to leave his sister’s side.”  
  
“I think it’s cute.”  
  
“They are both pretty cute. Like you.”  
  
August kisses her again and she can’t help but smile. She feels like an idiot, but she’s happy. She has everything she could want in this moment and it’s a first for her.  
  
“Did he freak out?”  
  
“Henry? Nah, that kid is a trooper. His only response was ‘cool’.”  
  
Emma laughs. That’s Henry’s all right.  
  
“What else did I miss?”  
  
“Apparently ol’ Rumpelstiltskin created the curse so that when you broke it, it would coincide with the time period that he son would arrive in our world. I don’t really know much else, I got bored and stopped listening.”  
  
“August!”  
  
“Okay, fine, the moment Ruby opened her mouth and told me I had a kid I bolted out of the room, okay? I wasn’t going to stand around while other people took care of her. I’ve already missed everything; I’m not missing anything else.”  
  
“You’re so cute when you’re being all paternal.”  
  
“Shut up.”  
  
“Anything else?”  
  
“You missed my dad crying.”  
  
“No, I’ve seen plenty of that. First it was because of Amelia and then because of Henry. How is the baby doing?” Emma hasn’t seen her in hours and while she doesn’t want to wake her, she desperately wants to hold her again.  
  
“Want me to get her for you?”  
  
“Yes!” Emma moves off of August so he can stand up to retrieve her. “She’s probably starving by now anyway.”  
  
“Does that mean I get to see your tits?”  
  
“August!” Emma wishes she had something to throw at him.  
  
“What? They’re huge and it’s not like I can do any of things I want to do to you yet, so I’ll have to settle for looking.”  
  
Emma rolls her eyes as he carries the baby over, cradles in his arms. Seeing August hold Amelia is one of the most wonderful sights she’s ever seen. He climbs back into bed with her and Emma sits up so that she can look at their daughter properly.  
  
“She’s perfect, like her mother.”  
  
“I know, right?”  
  
They look at one another and smile.  
  
“We did this?”  
  
Emma nods.  
  
“Crazy, right?”  
  
August leans over and kisses her.  
  
“I love you.”  
  
Emma reaches over and takes his hand.  
  
“I love you too.”  
  
“Good because you keep having my kids,” August whispers, kissing her again.  
  
Emma chuckles and kisses him back.  
  
“Mom?”  
  
Emma pulls away from August to find Henry standing the doorway, looking unsure of himself.  
  
“What are you doing over there kid? Climb on in. There’s room between me and your dad.” Emma feels weird even saying that, but she moves to let Henry into the space between herself and August. She wraps her arms around him when he hugs her around the middle and kisses the top of his head. She leans into August, resting her head on his shoulder.  
  
“I feel like we’re in some sort of Norman Rockwell painting,” August teases after a moment, ruining the moment.  
  
“Jackass,” Emma mutters, cuddling in closer to him and closing her eyes.  
  
This was her happy ending.


	13. Happily Ever After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apparently happily ever after does exist.

_One Year Later…_  
  
Henry chases after his little sister as she squeals, running right into the open arms of her father.  
  
“Come here, Princess,” August scoops up Amelia and tosses her up in the air as she giggles.  
  
“You’re mother’s going to kill us if we’re late to this wedding, kid, where have you two been?”  
  
Henry stops to catch his breath before speaking.  
  
“Amelia wouldn’t let grandma put her dress on; I’ve been chasing her around the castle trying to catch her. Here, you try,” Henry says, thrusting Amelia’s white dress at his father.  
  
August shakes his head and blows on Amelia’s tummy, eliciting a giggle from the small girl.  
  
“Are you going to be a good girl and let daddy dress you?”  
  
Amelia shakes her head, batting her beautiful blue eyes at him.  
  
“No, Dada.”  
  
Yup, she’s definitely his kid.  
  
“Jesus Christ, you’re not ready yet? Give her to me,” Emma enters the room and snatches Amelia out of August’s arms, muttering about useless men.  
  
“Don’t mind her, Henry, your mom’s just mad that she has to wear a dress,” August tells him with a wink.  
  
“You would too! Look at me, I look ridiculous.”  
  
“You look beautiful,” August says, leaning down to kiss her.  
  
Emma slips Amelia’s dress on and takes her shoes out of Henry’s hands.  
  
“Yeah, well, this thing is uncomfortable. How am I supposed to use a sword in this thing?”  
  
“Are you planning on fighting a battle today, Princess?”  
  
“Would you put it past Regina to crash the party?”  
  
“Not really.”  
  
August watches Emma finish dressing their daughter, amazed that she’s able to so easily do what three other people failed to do.  
  
“How do you get her to listen?”  
  
Emma hoists Amelia on her hip and gives August a ‘look’.  
  
“I’m her mother. She knows better than to disobey me. You on the other hand she has wrapped around her pinkie finger, along with everyone else in this damn Kingdom.”  
  
“That’s because she’s perfect, come here,” August says, taking her back into his arms.  
  
Amelia giggles and gathers a bit of the fabric of her dress to chew on.  
  
“Thank God, she’s ready.”  
  
Snow enters the room followed by James, Geppetto, and Blue. Snow takes Amelia from August and lets out a huff at the site of Emma.  
  
“Is the gun really necessary, Emma?” Snow motions to Emma’s leg where the outline of Emma’s gun is clear through the fabric of the dress.  
  
“Yes. Don’t blame me; Ruby’s the one who designed these damn things to be so tight. If it was my wedding, there wouldn’t be any damn ridiculous dresses,” Emma mutters, adjusting the dress, her boobs feeling like they were about to explode from the pressure.  
  
Her mother rolls her eyes.  
  
“Yes, as if you would ever grace us with a real wedding.”  
  
“Never.”  
  
Emma doesn’t want a wedding and August knows better than to argue with her, not that it stopped everyone else from trying to change her mind.  
  
“We’re already late. You can’t have a wedding if half the wedding party is missing,” Blue says, fixing August’s jacket and pushing him towards the door.  
  
“Yes you can,” Geppetto whispers to Henry with a wink.  
  
“No they can’t, grandpa, I have the rings.”  
  
Geppetto barks out a laugh and leads Henry out of the room, followed by Snow, James, and Blue.  
  
“Promise me you’re not going to get all weepy at this thing and get down on one knee?”  
  
August takes Emma’s hand and follows the rest of the group.  
  
“You really think I’m going to be paying attention to a wedding with the way your boobs look in that corset? I’m going to fake being sick so I can get you out of there early and have my way with you.”  
  
Emma smiles.  
  
“I knew there was a reason I loved you.”  
  
They arrived three minutes early to angry Ruby. Archie was doing his best to calm her down, but she’d spent weeks planning this day to make it perfect and she didn’t want any screw ups.  
  
As much as Emma hates weddings, when this one begins, she has to admit, it is kind of romantic.  
  
Leroy stands at the alter accompanied by all six of his brothers and Nova looks lovely. Ruby watches proudly as all of the hard work she put in for her friends goes off without a hitch. Emma feels bad for poor Archie. If Ruby was this wound up about someone else’s wedding, surely she’ll be a monster for her own, perhaps that’s why he hasn’t bothered proposing, or maybe it’s because shy Archie just doesn’t have it in him.  
  
Not that it matters. Even with the war against Regina still raging and the Kingdoms still trying to put themselves back together, they’re all back with the ones they love, their happy endings returned to them. The way things should be.  
  
“Ready to get out of here?” August whispers in Emma’s ear, wrapping his arms around her from behind.  
  
“We have to at least stay through dinner.”  
  
“Then come out behind the stables with me. We can be quick.”  
  
Emma shakes her head but she lets August lead her away from the crowd, having decided a long time ago to never miss out on time alone with him in the event that their happiness was only temporary.  
  
She isn’t sure what is supposed to come after Happily Ever After, but she’s determined to enjoy hers while she can.


End file.
